


.V-'^-;^ 



REMINISCENCES 



OF THE 



LIFE OF A NURSE 

IN 

FIELD, HOSPITAL AND CAMP 

DURING THE 

CIVIL WAR. 



By MRS. ANNIE PRISCILLA ERVING, 

Army Nurse Medical Department 
U. S. Volunteers. 



DAILY NEWS. NEWBURGH, N. Y. 






UB»«BV 


«♦ f50N6RESsj 


Two Onniiis R»H:«ivefl 1 


SEP 


28 1904 


^Oooufi^ht Entry 
CLASS CL xxc. No. 

9701 H- 

COPY B 



COPYRIGHTED 1904 
BY MRS. A. P.. ERVING. 



The good work of our Army Nurso, Mrs. lOrving, and 
what she did in hor girlhood in ramp, Hold and hospital 
as she carried hope and cheer to many a broken hearted 
mother's son. May the blessings of heaven follow her in 
her declining years and this booklet of women's work 
meet with hearty success. 

CHARLES AV. VALENTINE, 

l*astor of Lutheran Church. 
Newburgh, N. Y. 



The Manse. First Presbyterian Church. 
September 15, 1904. 
The many friends and acquaintances of Mrs. Annie Pris- 
cilla ErAing, Army Nurse in the Civil War, deeply interest- 
ed in her personal experiences, have often urged her to 
have printed in some permanent form her memories of the 
war. She has finally yielded to this request and how offers 
to the public this booklet, in the hope that it may be a 
profit and pleasure to many and. particularly, that the 
young who read it may have a stronger love of country and 
a larger appreciation of those who suffered, fought and 
died to preserve it. 

WILLIAM K. HALL. 



The child who was born the year the Civil War closed 
has long since grown to manhood, and the experiences of 
those dreadful years are fast fading into forgetfulness. 
Those who have come upon the stage of life since, have 
no adequate conception of the nature and cost of the con- 
flict. Mrs. Erving's narrative of personal experiences as 
an Army Nurse in camp and field and hospital will do 
much to enlighten those who read it as to their obligations 
to the citizen soldiers of the republic. It will prompt them 
to love their country more, to value it's dearly purchased 
institutions more, to prize its manifold T>lessings more, and 
to do all that in them lies to advance it's true greatness 
and glory. 

GEO. W. HUNTINGTON. 
Rector Church of the Corner Stones 

Newburgh. N. Y.. Sept. IfJth. 1004. 




MISS CII.I.A ZKRBK, 
MKDICAI. DEPARTMENT, U. S. VOLUNTEERS, 

1862-1864. 



PREFACE. 



This little book of woman's work and 
what she can do if she makes up her mind to 
do it, shonki be placed in the hands of evevy 
school child. It will teach them loyalty to 
themselves and their country, and they will 
grow up to respect the heroes of our wars. 
To-day, the heads of the soldiers of North 
and South are carrying the same color, the 
gray, while the nimble footsteps are grow- 
ing weary and soon taps will be sounded for 
them all. May it be well with them when 
the time comes. 

My ancestors were the! early settlers of 
Pennsylvania, Dutch on one side. Hugue- 
not on the other. I was born in one of the 
finest valleys of the United States, the Cum- 
berland, but I lived and was educated in the 
city of Harrisburg. How many people of 
to-day can recall the Omen of War just be- 
fore it broke out. I was coming home, with 
a party, from Camp Meeting, and such an 
awe-stricken party as it was. I confess 
here, for once in my life I was afraid, ^ye 



thought the Jiidgenient day was at hand. 
The sky seeiued to be covered as with one 
mass of blood. It would, and did, make the 
stoutest heart quail. The next day, Sun- 
day, our minister preached to the people 
that it was an Omen of War, which indeed 
it proved to be. Being born a patriotic girl, 
when the Civil War broke out, I was ready 
for work. 

In writing this, it is not overdrawn, but 
simply as it occurred. I have tried to make 
it so plain that any child can read it, also 
with hopes that in my declining years, it 
may bring me some reward financial 13. . 

MRS. ANNIE PRISCILLA ERVING. 




REMINISCENCES, 



The days of tlie 60s were stirring times. 
Our city was under martial law. Men would 
go to their work in the morning as usual, 
and when word would come that the ene- 
my were advancing, a fife and drum would 
give the signal. Steam would be shut off 
in the mills and shops, the men fall in line 
and march away to defend the city. To 
these men we looked for home protection. 
Night and day they worked to box and re- 
move the books and valuable documents 
from! our State capitol. The object of the 
Confederates was to burn the bridges that 
cross the Susquehannai River and to shell 
the city. 



My first seirvice was among refugees, peo- 
ple who had to leave the valley, being driven 
out by the enemy, and taking with them 
only what they could carr3^ Those people 
were given protection and shelter in and 
outside of the city — in churches, the Court 



2 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

House and in camp. The greater part of 
them had to be fed by the citizens. There 
was much sickness among them, and they 
had to be cared for, but there were plent}^ of 
Avilling hands to do. Our girls did noble 
work among them. Death came to a poor 
woman whose husband was to the front. 
Kind motherly women took charge of her 
five children, hoping some time to hear from 
the father. But still more serious times 
were to come. A call was issued by Presi- 
dent Lincoln for more troops, and cami>s 
and hospitals, formed. The call was answer- 
ed when cattle cars, freight cars and coach- 
es came rolling into the city laden with 
young men, the cream of the country, sing- 
ing, ''We aire coming Faither Abraham, six 
hundred thousand strong.'^ Here now was 
time for more active service. I offered mj' 
services to A. G. Curtin, our war governor, 
as I wanted to go to the front. He told me 
to hold myself in readiness and he would 
send for me at the proper time. One y\ee\i 
later I received word to come to the Execu- 
tive Chamber of the State Capitol, and was 
them, and by him, assigned to Camp Curtin, 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 6 

United States Kecruiting Caiiip and ITos- 
pital. The work and scenes of my two 
years' service are still photographed on my 
brain. 



I will here relate an incident which 1 
have often recalled Avith pleasure. On the 
occasion of a visit to my old home, after an 
absence of eighteen years, I met a young 
man who recognized me and called me by 
the name by which he had known me in 
former years. He was delighted to see me, 
and said how glad his wife would be to meet 
me. This seemed rather strange: as I did not 
know he had a wife. " She has heard me 
speak of you so often," he explained, ^' that 
she knows you by that." I told him how 
long I was going to remain there, after 
which I was going to Gettysburg. 

This young man. Tommy — I still call him 
Tommy, when a lad came to me to get a pass 
for him to go into camp to' sell pies. I told 
him if his mother made good pies and did 
not put the shortening in the pie crust the 
^' long " way, but in " crossways," I would 



4 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

get liim the pass. I suggested to- him that 
his mother make apple fritters too. 

Well, Toniaiiy got the pass; his mother 
made the pies and frittersi — and good ones, 
too^ — and he sold serveiral hundred daily. I 
neveir asked him how much money he was 
making, but Avas satisfied he was doing well. 

In a, few days I received an invitation to 
call at Tommy's house on a certain e^ ening. 
I said nothing toi anyone as to where I was 
going, but started out to find the address. 
After a shoirt walk I came to a fine resi- 
dence, surrounded by ample grounds, beau- 
tifully lighted and decorated with Chinese 
lanterns, etc., and the word " Welcome '' 
over the main entrance. I looked at the 
No., and said ''Yes, this is the place." I 
rang the bell ; a, colored man servant opened 
the door, when some one said, " Come right 
in." There was Tommy in full evening 
dress. I thought he must be the head ser- 
vant — in fact I hardly knew how to size up 
the situation. He then called his wife and 
after an introduction he said, " I bid you 
welcome to all that is here; it is mine, and 
I got my first start in selling pies in Camp 
tlirough your help in getting me the pass." 




MRS. ANNIE P. ERVING, 

(Formerly Cilia Zerbe), 

PAST LADY COMMANDER MARY C. LAWTON GAR 

RISON NO. 1901. 



KEMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. < 

LINT. 

It is to the children of the public schools 
of 1861-64 that we owe a; debt of gratitude 
for the lint picked by their little hands. 
Very many useful things were sent by them 
to the Hospital, and many of the packages 
contained little notes, bringing good cheer 
to many an invalid boy in blue. Following 
are samples of some of the notes sent : " I 
love the soldier boys;" ^^ I hope you Avill get 
well ;" '' I will pray f or you." One little 
girl wrote, ''If you would like to have my 
little kitten, and will send me 3 our name I 
will send it to you ; I love it; it is very play- 
ful and will keep you company in the hos- 
pital." Sometimes these notes fell into the 
hands of fathers who had little ones at 
home, and tears would spring to their eyes 
as they thought of them, and they would 
often exclaim, '' God bless the little chil- 
dren." The girls wer^e e\'er on the alert, 
" What would we e^^er do without them," a 
poor sick boy once said to me, '' they are al- 
ways looking after some one else's brother." 



O KEMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

Stacksi of well filled baskets they always 
had ready, and some of them contained nice 
little notes giving name and address of the 
sender which often led to a correspondence 
and quite often toi marriage. I have known 
this to be the caise. As soon as a car-load of 
soldiers came in a dash Avould be made for 
the baskets of provisions, and such a search 
to find the notes! The boys called them 
'^ billy ducks.'' 

To get lint for the hospital, four young 
ladies received permission of the owner of 
a. small island, situated in the middle of the 
Suvsquehannai Rivei*, to hold a picnic, to 
which we invited the convalascent of the 
camp and hospital to have a day's outing. 
They came in squads. I stood at the shore 
of the river from ten o'clock in the morning 
until four in the afternoon, sending them 
over in small boats, as we had no ferry ser- 
vice. 

We realized one hundred and twenty-five 
dollars from that day's work. Well, you 
can bet we were proud girls. We threw uj) 
our sun bonnets, laughed and danced on tlie 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 9 

pebbles of the shore to the tune of '' My 
Bluejean's Busted, My horse ran off, Sus- 
annah, don't you cry." Oh, such happy 
girls as we Avere. AVe laid the money out to 
good advantage — all for the sick soldiers, 
taking good care that nothing went to the 
doctors' mess. Hoav the boys did enjoy that 
outing. They dispatched the two hundred 
watermelons which we had given to. us for 
the day. Those Avere the days that you only 
had to ask for a thing and you got it. Will- 
ing hands' and kind hearts opened doors to 
the poor Aveary sons of some broken hearted 
mothers, but alas, Avhere are the most of 
them to-day? 

Sleeping, perhaps among the brave and true 
In Heaven Ave shall know them in that 
faded coat of blue. 

To the poor fellows in the hospital the 
things that you or I might think foolish, 
they Avould have a great time over. Every- 
thing was fun to them. Many times I had 
to invent great ^^ Avhite lies '' to amuse them 
and keep their courage up, and if I am to 
be punished for them in the future, it Avill 
be for a sheep, and a '' big black one/' too. 



10 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

Many a morning I Avould get up very 
early tc find three or four poor boys souna 
asleep on our verandah, the knapsack under 
their heads for a, pillow. I wpuld say, 
" Boys, boys, get up and pay for your lodg- 
ing." It was fun to see them rub their eyes 
toi see a young girl looking at them. I 
would take themi in the house, have them 
wash up, give them a good breakfast, do up 
a lunch and tJien send them off, and to hear 
them say they got off the train to get a glass 
of lemonade and that they got lost, and that 
their regiment went on without them. The 
lemonade was all right, but Ave knew it was 
something stronger. 



After the burning of Chambersburg, I 
had occasion to go there to attend to some 
business concerning the family. When I 
went up the valley, everything was all right, 
but before I came back communication was 
cut off, and trains had stopped running. 
Now, how to get home. The only alterna- 
tive was for me to walk it. Well, I started, 
taking the main road, and hoping to meet 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 11 

some one that might give me a lift along 
the road by way of a ride. I \yalked about 
three miles when I met a man with a team 
of oxen. It was a hay wagon with a long 
pole sticking out from the back. I sat on 
this pole and rode about four miles. It was 
not a very graceful way of riding for a girl, 
but a great help to my already weary feet 
with my toes coming through my shoes. I 
said good-bye to my fellow traveler and kept 
on my way. By this time I was getting 
very hungry. I came to a house and thought 
I might get something to eat, but the house 
was empty, but open. I found some apple 
butter and some preserves, but what were 
sweetmeats to a tired, hungry girl without 
bread. In the pen I found two squealing 
hogs, and I fed the poor things. *I guess I 
gave them food enough to last three days. 
I nearly emptied the barrel. I really don't 
know which was the most hungry, myself 
or the pigs. It seemed a pleasure to see 
them eat. I actually talked to them, said 
^' good-bye '' and continued on my journey. 
At last I came to the house of an old col- 
ored coiuple who gave me something to eat — 



12 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NCUSE. 

bread, bacon and coffee made from brown 
rye. I thought I had never tasted anything 
so good and I did it ample justice, I can as- 
sure you. They kept me all night, as I was 
too tired to go any further, and night was 
coming on. Next morning my good friends 
;'gave me a breakfast of cornmeal mush and 
anilk, telling me to eat a whole lot as I 
might not get anything more that day. I am 
not very fond of mush, but it Avas all riglit 
this time. I again bade good-bye to my host 
and hostessr — their faces were black, but 
their hearts were white, and at parting their 
last words were, ^' Good-bye, chile, Ave Avill 
meet again at the throne of God." They 
must have long since passed aAvay, as they 
were an aged couple at that time. God bless 
them. I Avas more fortunate from noAV on 
in my journey, as from time to time, I got a 
lift by Avay of a ride. At length I reached 
Mechanicsburg Avhere I Avas told that com- 
munication Avas all right, and that a train 
A^'as expected doAvn the A^alley at any mo- 
ment. My heart leaped for joy at the 
thought of getting home. I kneAV ni}^ fam- 
ilv AA^ere anxious about me. I waited at the 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 13 

depot far into the night. Still no train. The 
kind hearted watchman took me to his 
home. This Avas about two o'clock in the 
morning. I had hardly gone to bed when 1 
heard the whistle of the engine and the pass- 
ing down of the cars. I was so disappoint- 
ed. If I had only waited a little longer I 
might have reached home. I felt like a 
refugee myself. In the morning, after 
thanking my kind friends for their hospital- 
ity, I started for Shiremanstown where m^' 
uncle lived. I was on foot again. When 
between this town and Mechanicsburg, three 
miles out, I saw a Rebel officer and his 
troops coming up the road. I hesitated to 
go on, but as I reflected that they had al- 
ready seen me and would inevitably over- 
haul me, I kept bravely on. When the Rebel 
officer came up, he said, ^' Don't be alarmed, 
young lady. We won't harm you, for we 
are gentlemen, if we are Rebels as you call 
us." '' That may be," said I, '^but if I had a 
horse you would take it away from me." 
" Just like you Yankee girls," he laughed, 
'' you're all saucy." But becoming serious, 
" How many soldiers are there in Camp 



14 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

Curtin?" ^^ What do you take me for," I re- 
plied indignantly. ^' A nice, pretty little 
Yankee girl.'' Then in a tone he meant to 
be tender, '^ Now tell me how many soldiers 
have they got in camp." '^ Enough to whip 
the whole Kebel army," said I, for I was 
mad enough then to be regardless of conse- 
quences. But they took it in good part on 
^account of my sex, and gave me an escort as 
ifar as they dared go. The officer was evi- 
dently impressed with my looks, for I was 
called quite comely in those days. He evi- 
dently being of a romantic nature, chatted 
rather familiarly with me as we Avalked 
along. When we parted he gave me a little 
testament with a German silver clasp and 
took mv address. 



Those were the days for romance and 
sentiment, you know. The officer had glor- 
ious, big black eyes. I never before or after 
saw a pair like them, with the exception ot 
those in a dying Rebel avIio expired in Camp 
Curtin. I never heard from the dashing of- 
ficer. He was doubtless killed in some bat- 
tle charge. He told me there were about 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 15 

three hundred of General Earley's advancce 
men Avho' came down the back roads from 
Gettysburg. 

I had one of my feet tied up with a white 
cloth. He very kindly asked me if I had a 
sore foot, and what he could do for me. The 
truth of it was, I had to take one of my 
skirts, tear it in strips, and tie on the sole 
of my shoe which was nearly off, or go bare- 
footed. 



Capt. M., my escort, Avalked with me 
about one mile. He was handsome and very 
friendly. That sometimes goes a long waj^s 
Avith a girl. He was so polished I was be- 
ginnig to forget that he was a " Johnny 
Eeb,'' as we called them in those days. Af- 
ter Avalking along so pleasantly we came 
upon the advance camp. Here he turned 
me over to the officer in command, and sa- 
luting, left me, after giving me the little 
testament and saying, " Farewell, fair pris- 
oner," At once it came to me that I was a 
prisoner. The officer, however, gave me the 
assurance that they Avere all gentlemen, and 
Avould allow no harm to come to me, and in 



16 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

the meantime I could rest aAvliile. I looked 
for a seat, ami found I could either rest on 
a large rock or a rail fence. While sitting 
there humming to myself, for I thought I 
might just as well keep myself company, one 
of ttie boys came toi me and said' ^'Are you 
very much scared. Miss?'' '' No," said I, 
''I am not of the scary kind. Do I look so? 
But I am very hungry." '' Well," said he, 
'' I am very sorry, for I have not even a tack 
to give ycu," meaning a hard tack. That 
was my failing. I was ahvays hungry. The 
fact was, I was faint from hunger, not hav- 
ing had niucli to eat for nearly live days. I 
thought oif the good home and bountiful 
table I would have when I got there, and 
told him so. He said some of the Yankee 
girls along the roads gave them food, and 
some oif them spat at them, but all South- 
ern girls were very pretty. 



My chatterbox gone, I was again left to 
keeping myself company. The sun was be- 
ginning to lower itself in the heavens, tell- 
ing me that the day was far spent. I was 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 17 

beginning to wonder where I was going to 
sleep, let alone get sometliing to eat, and 
what next was going to happen. I had still 
the remnants of my peittieoat carefully 
wrapped around my arm for further emer- 
gency, and to this day I have a fancy for a 
torn petticoat. It has a particular attrac- 
tion for mei. Getting tired of waiting to 
see what they meant to do' with me, lo and 
behold! tAvo men came bearing a dirty, be- 
draggled comrade who had been thrown 
from his horse. In a moment I was ready to 
assist, and taking the remnants of my skirt 
I bound up his bruises. After he was all 
fixed up I tried to make him smile, or say 
"thank you," or " you are so kind,'' as I had 
been used to. He only looked at me in as- 
tonishment, saying, " Who in the deuce," 
or something worse. There was no polite- 
ness in this man. He only looked at me full 
and square. I can see his owFs eyes yet. 1 
said to his comrades, " He is about the 
meanest I haye ever come across, but I have 
the satisfaction of knowing that he is fixed 
up in parts of a Yankee girPs petticoat, any- 
way." At nearly five o'clock, I was escorted 



18 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

to the Adjutant'si tent, i4gidly questioned, 
but I was ready for anything that might 
come along. The orderly escorted me out- 
side the picket lines. I had just two miles 
to walk when I came to my uncle's. 



Thus was I held a prisoner on the high- 
way, not so terribly bad as the word im- 
plies, but oh, so hungry. I thought how 
foolish I was toi tell them I belonged to 
camp, but I couldn't resist the temptation 
to have a little fun with them. I had on a 
soft black silk dress, and you can imagine 
what that would look like after a sixt^ mile 
tram]> through dusty roads, and sleeping in 
it tooi, wherever I could get a, chance to lay 
my weary head down, to say nothing of my 
toes peeping out of my thin shoes. While 
waiting here I had ample time to look my- 
self over. I had dirty hands and was very 
sure a dirt 3^ face. I became disgusted witJi 
myself, for if ever there was a genteel 
tramp, I was one. I consoled myself, how- 
ever, with the thought that everything was 
fair in love and war. As the old supersti- 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 19 

tion goes, I don't know whether my mother 
carried me to- the garret first after I was 
bom or not, but this I do know, I never 
knew what fear was. If blood flowed as 
freely as milk in accidents, I was there and 
ready to help. 



I went into the little village, reported the 
Rebels two miles out of town, and sucli a 
flurry there was to get the most valuable 
things out of town ; for instance, the cattle 
and horses- which Avere the main things they 
would have captured. From here I was for- 
tunate enough to get a ride to the Camel 
Back Bridge. Here I had to get a permit 
to cross the river. The shades of ev'ening 
were coming on, and my being a young girl 
and soldiers going to and fro to the city of 
Harrisburg, the provost thought it better to 
give me an escort. We met two jovial sol- 
diers, and they seeing me with a military 
escort began to sing, '^ The Girl I Left Be- 
hind Me." Those boys, I guess, had drank 
too much lemonade. This bridge is direct- 
ly opposite where the famous Seventh New 
York had their camp, constructed tlieir 



20 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

breast works and threw out their pickets to 
take care of the farmers' hen coops that 
were near their camp. Here also a poor 
blue-coated boy lost his life by falling from 
a high precipice. 



At home once more, the beautiful words 
came to me, " Be it ever so humble, there's 
no place like home.'' I was so anxious to 
know how my boys were getting along in 
the hospital and camp that, after I had 
washed up and rested (I can tell you I was 
very dirty. My clothes Avere as black as if 
I was in mourning, so my readers can judge 
what a plight I must have been in Avith the 
dust on the roads half a foot deep) I went 
to camp. ^' My boys " Avere so deli<^hted to 
see me, but not more so than I was to see 
them. There were also a great many ncAv 
faces in the different tents. We very soon 
became acquainted, however. Then came 
letter writing. They had lots of lej:ters for 
me to answer. One poor sick blue coat 
whom I really expected to die, AvaiS able to 
sit up after he had received a letter from a 
young lady who had jilted him. All was 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 21 

made up he said, and he was going home to 
marry her. He became well all right, but 
about the marrying, I ne^^er heard. I would 
have been so glad to know if he got the girl. 
Sometimes I think she must have jilted him 



Three young men whom I supposed to be 
very wealthy, society gentlemen, came to 
the camp, asked for me, and with tears in 
their eyes said they had lost their all by the 
raid and asked me to look after their father 
and mother. Their parents were quartered 
among other refugees in the Court House. 
Shortly after, the young men enlisted and 
received the bounty that was given at that 
time. This placed the parents in a very 
comfortable home. A while after the boys 
had departed, a large book came by express. 
On the fly leaf was a crisp one hundred dol- 
lar bill from the lo'^ing sons to their moth- 
er. She neveT saw it though, as she died 
the very day the book arrived. Two days 
later the father died, and it was my sad 
duty to write them of their loss. I never 
heard from them after that. 



22 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 




WOMEN S RELIEF CORPS BADGE, 

134 S. W. FULLERTON, 
MRS. ANNIE P. ERVING, P. JR. V. 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 23 

The Reibel sick received the same treat- 
ment from the doctors and nurses as our 
men, we forgetting tliat they were enemies, 
and only remembering that tliey were sons 
of some poor motlier whoi was praying for 
them and their safe return home some day. 
Sometimes our girls would fall in love with 
some of those Confederates. I know of one 
young lady at that time who did not want 
toi be conspicuous in going to seei her John- 
ny Eeb so often, so I helped her out by lend- 
ing her my clothes, as at that time I dress- 
ed in black. A government detective who 
was in the hospital at the time, spoke to 
her, thinking it was I. When he found out 
the plot, and that I had a hand in it, he 
wanted to help the poor girl in lier little 
flirtation. We had a good laugh, but I know 
it ended right there, and that it helped the 
Southern boy to get well. Noi matter what 
a man was in civil life, in camp and hospital 
he w^as a gentleman toi and before a woman. 
I only know of one case where a man could, 
would and did swear. He is a character I 
shall speak of later. 

One day tAvo of the boys came to me say- 



24 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

ing, ^' Come to our tent. We have some- 
tliing for you." Judge my surprise when 
they cut ai forty i^ound chees and gave me 
half of it. They said it was made at some 
place up in York State. I took the cheese 



and went through the tents giving all the 
boys somei — sick and well. I never knew of 
the cheese doing them any harm. After that 
I came eo the conclusion that anything you 
ate in camp, if you got it unexpectedly, and 
it tasted good, would do you no harm. No, 
not even pie, when the shortening is put in 
" long Avays " and " cross ways," of which 
there were a great many sold by vendors in 
camr» and at the Sutler's store. Ne^^er mind, 
they were pies, but none such as " mother 
used to make." Bean soup, in which a bean 
could not be found and the blackest of cof- 
fee was the mess call, while for desert they 
had a nice, crispy hard tack, to be eaten 
without cream — no Shredded Biscuit. 



Going down town one day, I met one of 
the boys whom I had helped to get his dis- 
charge. He was standing on the corner of 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 25 

Third and Market streets, and in his hands 
he had two beautiful large apples. He said 
he was very glad to see me, and handing me 
one of the apples he said, '^ I always meant 
to give you something for your kindness." 
I was tempted to eat that apple, but on 
second thought I took it home and filled it 
with clofves, and kept it a year. I thought 
as much of that apple as if it had been a 
diamond ring. 



One morning on making my rounds, I 
peeped very shyly intoi a new tent. I saw 
to my surprise a nice dressing case, made 
out of a packing case, with a looking glas:i 
on it. On it were collars and cuffs. I said, 
" What dudes are in here. This is no place 
for tlieni.'' I went toi work and pinned 
their tent up with pinsi, of which I carried 
a large quantity, and of course I spared 
none. The orderl}^ came along, and said, 
" Wait until the new ward masters catch 
jou at that trick.'' Well, they did catch 
me, and a year later I married one, my. sis- 
ter marrying the other. From that I re- 



26 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

ceived the title, ^^ The Bride of the Hospi- 
tal." 



In the general hospital ward was a, very 
sick and badly wounded soldier boy to 
whom I was very much attached. He asked 
me toi marry him if he got well. The doctor 
said, " If yon think it will do him any good 
to' promise, why do it, as he will never get 
well, and the sooner you notify his family 
to hasten toi him, the better. I wrote them 
that same day, and in three days they were 
Avith him. The first day of their visit to 
him, and even the second, he and they spent 
very pleasantly together, but on the third 
day, poor Dick died. The last I did for the 
poor boy was to help 'select his casket and 
fix a white rose on his breast. This was a 
farewell fromi me to " Handsome Bucktail 
Dick." 



It is not very often that a girl can get 
square with ai young man who at some time 
treated her meanly, or in other words, 
'' stood her up." In this ward was " Dutch 
Pete," and oh, how he could swear! Now, 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 27 

he was my cliampion in this case, and he 
was about toi hare a leg amputated. One 
day I was surprised to see four doctors 
around Peter's cot, and among the number 
was the man Avho a year previous had made 
an engagement to take me tO' camp meeting. 
When the time came, I was all ready and 
waiting, but he took another girl, my friend, 
and left me home. I made up my mind that 
I would get square with him some time, but 
at the time did not know how, but as all 
thinos come toi those Avho wait, I waited and 
it came to^ me in a way that I never dream- 
ed of. To tell the truth, I did not want 
Pete to have his leg taken off, and I kept 
telling him toi suffer a little longer and try 
and save his leg. Of course, I had no say 
against so many doctors, but I knew how 
my man Pete could fight and swear. I said 
to him, " Now I will put some boot jacks 
in the head of your cot, and a thick walk- 
ing stick, and you know the fellow that 
stood at the foot of the bed and asked if you 
liked brandy or whiskey. Don^t let him 
toiuch you. He is a butcher, and if he tries, 
whack him with the boot jack, and hit him 



28 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

with the canei. Now, I have known that 
man for yeans, and he! is just what I said he 
was. Swear at them until you scare them.'' 
I knew that the amputation was to take 
place the next morning and that my man 
was going to boss the job. Pete was fore- 
warned and surely he was forearmed. Well, 
at the time appointed the doctors were 
there ready for work, and then the action 
began. They wanted to tie Pete to his cot, 
but Pete bolted straight up in bed. He 
went directly for m^^ man, punched him witli 
the cane, thre^v a boot jack and hit him in 
the side. Then he laughed and said, ''This 
time it was the Dutch and the Americans, 
but they made a good retreat." He was 
left alone after that. His leg got well, and 
if living, I am sure he haiS it to-day, and 
knows it takes a woman tO' get square with 
a man if she makes up her mind to do it. 
After that the doctor and I met quite fre- 
quently, but we never spoke as we passed 
by. Later I missed him' from camp alto- 
gether. He had been transferred, perhaps. 



Six months later, in a little chapel on the 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 29 

road leading to the camp, a reTival meetinu 
was in progress, and a great many of the 
boys Avent there. One night I thought 1 
would stop in. It Avas during a prayer 
when I arrived, and I thought the voice 
leading sounded familiar. 1 looked again, 
and sure enough, to ni}' great delight, there 
was my " Pete," praying as loudly and as 
fast as I had heard him swear. The next 
day I spoke to him about it. He replied, 
'^ Yes, bless God, I am converted soul and 
body." ■" Now," said I, ^^ Pete, would you 
lam the doctors again?" " Yesi, I would 
to save a leg, and you are the best little girl 
under the American flag for making me do 
it." 



The regiments awaiting marching orders 
in camp, had communion every Sabbath, in 
Avliich visitors and soldiers were invited to 
participate. On one of those occasions the 
chaplain was speaking of the love of Christ, 
dying on the cross for sinners, when some 
one in a loud voice called out, ^' Bully for 
Jesus Christ." I found out later that this 
man was a rough mountaineer, and the very 



30 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

best kind of a Christian man, but it was his 
manner of ecxpressing himself. I have 
never before or since heard the grand okl 
tune of Luther^s sung so grandly as it was 
sung on that day by that regiment of men. 
We had quite a large number of Rebel 
prisoners in camp guarded by our own men, 
and it was pitiful to see tliosei poor fellows 
beg for soap to wash themselves and for to- 
bacco'. I went as often as I could, took a 
few bars of soap cut in piec(^s and made it 
go as far as it would. They would say to 
me, '^ Now, Yankee girl, giv(^' me a piece, 
and wait until I wash myself and sliow you 
what a nice face I got, and no' conceit eith- 
er.'' They were most of them nice looking 
men even if they were barefooted and in tat- 
ters. My heart went out to those poor mis- 
guided men, but then they thought tliey 
were in the right. 



My older brother left home very young. 
We really mourned him as dead, as we had 
not heard from him. My father called me to 
him a, few hours before he died and asked 
me if McClellan had o-ot into Richmond. I 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 31 

told him hei was before Richmond and Wil- 
kie with him, meaning my other brother 
whoi wais with the Sixth Pennsylvania Ee- 
serves. '' I shall neiver know the result," he 
said, " but let me impress on you right here, 
that through this war you will hear from 
your long lost brother, and God grant it." 
One day my mother was surprised to have a 
call from an army offlcer asking her if she 
had a son by the name of Benton. ^^ Oh, yes, 
but he is long since dead." " No, indeed, 
he is not. I left him in Fort Delaware to 
come and tell his family. He is there a 
prisoner of war, a gay Louisiana Tiger with 
bootsi on his feet tooi short for him and wait- 
ing to be exchanged." This officer who 
brought the good words to us was in com- 
mand at the Fort, and in their boyhood 
daysi they had been school mates. Gov. 
Curtin telegraphed Major-General Scheopff 
in regard to the prisoners. Just what, I 
never knew, but the next morning, a num- 
ber of citizens of the city met at our house 
toi make arrangements to* gO' with my moth- 
er and myself toi the fort tO' try for Benton^ s 
release, when who should walk in but a tall 



32 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

figure in a grey uniform. My brother! We 
nervier gave the color of the clotheis any 
thought. He Avas our long lost brother, 
whom some kind man he met had given 
shoes and monev. 



Gov. Curtin became very much interest- 
ed in him. On the second day of the bat- 
tle of Gettysburg, my brother told some of 
his confederates he was near where he was 
born. He intended to put himself into tlie 
hands of our forces, at the very first oppor- 
tunity and he did and was sent to Fort Del- 
aware from where he was liberated and sent 
home. He reiniained with us until the ex- 
piration of my yoiunger brother's enlist- 
ment, Avhich was nearly at an end. He con- 
stantly worried about being a traitor to the 
cause of his family, but always said it was 
not his fault, and we were satisfied. Laugh- 
ingly, I told him I should always be a spy 
on him. He said, " Give me a chance to 
prove myself loyal to the stars and stripes, 
and you will never be ashameid of me." And 
he kept his word. So with the younger 
brother he enlisted in the Third New Jer- 



REMINISCENCES OP AN ARMY NURSE. 33 

sey Cavalr^^ Gov. Curtin told him if he 
enlisted into the Union forces, it would be 
with a halter' around his neck, but all the 
same he went. One day, he with a; squad 
of his men, went foraging. As he was ac- 
quainted with the road and the country 
about, he took them to a house where there 
were a couple of Southern girls who were 
very much surprised to see him in the uni- 
form of the Union Army. They were haugh- 
ty and saucy, calling him a traitor, and said 
to him just what ai girl can say if she makes 
up her mind to. Under such circumstances, 
he said he expected just Avhat he got, but not 
Avhat was to* follow. His comrades who 
were with him were not aware that he had 
been in the Confederate service, and when 
they were back to camp, they told of the 
visit to the Southern girls and he was ar- 
rested as a spy and put under guard to 
await coiirt-martial. The ^^ounger brother 
wrote me immediately of the danger Benton 
was in, and I went directly to the governor 
and laid the case before him. He said, ''Get 
up a petition, have all the citizens swear to 
it, and sign, and bring to me." I lost no 



34 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

time in doing this, for I was nearly crazy. 
My paper completed, I took it to the gover- 
nor, and he added what he had to say, and 
it was sent to President Lincoln. Every 
day the younger brother rode miles to carry 
him food and coffee where he was under 
guard. All my correspondence was done in 
and through the chaplain. I sent the paper, 
but somehow it was delayed. Time Avas 
drawing near for the boy's trial. Still no 
paper. The Governor thought the best 
thing for me to do was to- go to Washington 
and present the paper to President Lincoln 
myself. I was also given a note of introduc- 
tion to an attache at the White House Avho 
had poAver to giA^e me some consideration, 
so that I could combine a little pleasure 
Avith sadness. That night I started for Bal- 
timore and the next morning took tlie nine 
o'clock train for Washington, it being only 
a short ride from Baltimore. We arrived 
there quite early in the day, my mother be- 
ing Avith me, and our hearts were quite 
heavy. I had every assurance before Ave 
started that everything Avould be all right 
as soon as I saw the President Avliich Q-axe 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 35 

me great courage. Arriving at Washington, 
the first thing I saw Avas a large building. 
We went directly for it, up the massive 
stone steps and into the corridor. I met a 
gentleman and asked him if he thought I 
could see the President. '' My child," he 
said, ^' you are not at the White House, but 
at the Nation's Capitol." He very kindh^ 
informed me which way to go and said he 
thought I would not be able to see the Pres- 
ident so early in the day. I thanked him for 
his kindness and we went on our way. I 
said, " Mother, I am dreadfull}^ hungry.' ' 
So we went into a restaurant and refreshed 
ourselves. Then we started for the White 
House. This time we reached the proper 
place. I handed my letter to the person ad- 
dressed, and he showed us every courtesy 
while we awaited the time to see the Presi- 
dent. In showing us the rooms, he said, 
^' This, 3^our neighbor furnished." I con- 
fess that I was puzzled to know who he 
meant by " my neighbor." I asked no ques- 
tions, however, and finally he said, '' Miss 
Lane had a hard task." She was President 
Buchanan's niece, and from Lancaster conn- 



36 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

ty. I was from Dauphin county (an adjoin- 
ing- county), hence we were neighbors. 

Then we went to the reception room to 
await the time for audience with the Pres- 
ident. The room was full of people. 1 
scanned their faces and wondered what they 
had all come for. It came to me then that 
others had sorrow as well as myself. At 
the foot of the lawn of the White House, 
the soldiers were playing " Home, Sweet 
Home" on bugles, and Avith the ringing of 
the bells on the boats of the Potomac River, 
it made the scene in the room seem more 
sad. Suddenly a man with red hair opened 
the door, looked in, then closed it again. My 
mother, in a loud Avhisper, asked, " Is that 
the President? " At that remark, every sad 
face was turned into a smile. Presently 
this man came back and said that the Presi- 
dent was ready to- receive us. We were in- 
troduced by our respective states — not by 
name. I now here confess my ignorance in 
not knowing how to address the President. 
What in the world was I to call him? I 
thought, '' Mr. Lincoln won't do, that is not 
dignified enough.'- Then, suddenlv and 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 37 

without any ceremony a woman walked up 
to him and addressed him as '' Mr. Presi- 
dent." I said, '' There, now, that's it," and 
I felt really ashamed of myself. When my 
turn came, I bowed, said " Mr. President," 
handed my papers and took my seat beside 
him until he had finished reading them. He 
added a few lines to my papers and said, 
'^ Now be happy, everything will be all 
right." Everything did come out all right, 
too. I posted the papers in Washington and 
went hoime with a light heart. The papers 
arrived there just in the nick of time to 
save Benton from court-martial. He proved 
a good, brave soldier, and at the close of 
the war he came home a captain. 



One peculiarity of my hospital life, was 
the readiness with which I could identify 
relatives of the wounded who' came to visit 
them. I used to Avrite letters to them say- 
ing that their boy, sweetheart or brother, as 
the case might have been, was dangerously 
ill and for them to come at once. The mo- 
ment a party appeared at the door of the 



38 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

hospital, I could tell at a glance Avliich one 
of my patients tliey had come to visit. If 
I met strangers in the street, I could read- 
ily identify them if they were looking after 
one of their relatives under my care. 



I was at the depot at Harrisburg the day 
that the boys of the old Bucktail Kegiment 
returned from their annual reunion at Get- 
tysburg, I was standing on the platform as 
the old soldiers sauntered past. One of 
them eyed me very closely, and at last he 
came up to me and said, " Excuse me, but 
don't I know you? " " Is it possible? " said 
I, for it was one of ^' my boys " who was lo- 
cated at Camp Ourtin in the old days and I 
used to know him very well. He called 
others of his comrades around me and we 
enjoyed hearty hand shakes. Indeed, they 
made me promise that I would be at Gettys- 
buro- when they have their annual reunion 
next vear. 



I remember one incident that was rather 
laughable in connection with my duties at 
Camp Curtin. You know that sick people 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 39 

liave their own queer notions as to what 
theiy w^ould like to eat sometimes. One of 
my soldier boys from Easton, Pennsylvania, 
took a notion for some potato soup. lie 
was lying ill on his cot, and when the rest of 
the boys heard him ask for it, they all 
clamored for the, to them, unusual luxury. 
80 I went home, made forty quarts, and sent 
it to camp. You ought to have seen the 
rapidity with which the j>oor fellows devour- 
ed that soup. They all got wtU from that 
moment, .and they declared that it was the 
potato soup that cured them. 



I shall never forget one poor fellow groan- 
ing on his cot with a badly swollen arm. 
When I looked at him again, I saw at once 
that it was not his arm alone that he A>'as 
suffering from, but his head, which was alive 
Avith vermin. I went to the steward, got 
Blue Ointment, and as delicately as I could, 
so as not to make him feel badly, told him 
I would like to do something to his hair. 
So with my hands smeared with the oint- 
ment, I rubbed it thoroughly through the 
hair, and tied the head up with a cloth. 



40 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

Next day he said to me, '' Oh, I did sleep m 
soundly last night. My arm seems much 
better," never dreaming for a moment that 
it was the vermin that had been bothering 
him. Anyway if he did know, he never said 
so. A woman's quick eye detects that which 
a man would pass by, and perhaps the most 
important thing. On leaving the camp that 
day for a walk to the city, I met a gentle- 
man, and whilq speaking to him, he brushed 
something from the shoulder of my dress. 
" A bug, Miss Cilia," he said. He kncAV 
what it was, and so did I, and I replied tha t 
it was the soldiers' enemy — the grey back. 
One more distressing thing we had to con- 
tend with was the camp itch which came be- 
tween the fingers. I had my share of it. 
There was no shirking of duty. Work was 
there for you to do, and no matter how dis- 
agreeable, you would not, and could not 
say, '' I can't do it," but on the impulse you 
would find yourself doing the very best you 
knew how. In most cases it was very pleas- 
ant to hear the surgeons say, '^ That was 
splendid, my girls." You would feel flat- 
tered and think vou were somebod v a f ter all. 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 41 

In time you would get used to it and find 
yourself doing anything and everything that 
came in your way, thinking only that it was 
for the poor sick soldiers, forgetting your- 
self entirely. This makes the good nurse, 
and my opinion was and still is, had we had 
more good nurses, many of our poor boys 
would be living to-day. The doctor gives 
the medicines; the nurse has tO' do the work. 



As I look back on camp life I cav see the 
boys trying to cook their dinners in their 
black sheet iron kettles. They often went 
out foraging, coming back with a bag full of 
chickens, cleaning them, putting them on to 
cook and when done, cover them up nicely 
for breakfast, hardly sleeping, thinking of 
the good meal they were going ro have in 
the morning. And then when some mis- 
creants during the night stole the chicken 
and there was nothing left but the gravy! 
Poor fellows. I Avould call it water Avith 
some feathers init, as the boys were not over 
particular in cleaning them, but to them it 
would have been a great luxury. Imagine 



42 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

aAvakening to hard tack and black coffee 
next morning when you expected chicken. 
What a disappointment after sitting around 
the boiling pot half the night smelling of the 
cooking chicken. Many a time the boys 
would say all they got of camp life was to 
pass the doctor's mess and smell the good 
thiups cooking. 



One day while lying on his cot in the tent 
of a field hospital, ai sick soldier said to me, 
'' Say, little gal, do you intend ever to get 
married.'' I replied that perhaps I might 
if I should be fortunate enough to find the 
right one. '^ Well, my advice to you is to 
see that you dO' get the right one, and no 
fooling about it either, as this marriage 
business is not what it is cracked up to be." 
He then asked, '' Will you write a letter to 
my Avife? " Toi this I assented, and he tlien 
told mei the story of how he came to get 
'^ tied up," asi he termed his marriage. ^' 1 
am a backwoodsman," he said, ^' and make 
a good living splitting rails, and when 1 
rolled my trousers up and put on my heavy 
boots, I imagined I Avas Abe Lincoln — peo- 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 43 

pie Avere talking so much about him in those 
days, and what a great man he was. You 
see he was my namesake, and a rail- splitter 
too. The war was on, and I wanted to go 
and help whip those blasted Johnnies. Well, 
one evening — it was gal night — I dressed 
myself in my best and went to see my gal. 
With my heiart beating to fight for my coun- 
try, and as all the fellows around the coun- 
ty were going to the war, I thought Polly 
would be proud of me when I said, ^ Poll^^, 
I'm off — came to say bood bye.' She said, 
' Now, see here, Abei, if that namesake of 
yours is not big enough to' kick those fel- 
lows without your help, and you do go, Abe^ 
I tell you, and right herei, too, I'll marry 
Jim Green." My lieart fell to my feet. I 
thought it all over after I left Polly, and 
concluded I Avould stay home, for I did not 
want her to marry Jim Green. He had 
more money than I had, but was not so tall 
and good-looking as I am. Well, we were 
married and all went well until the draft 
came and I was drafted and had to go. I 
am now sorry I did not go at first, but it 
was all for listening to the blarney of a gal. 



44 KEMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

I went toi the war this time^ — I had to go — 
and made up my mind to be a good soldier. 
In battle I fired straight, but 'nervier had the 
pleasure of knowing who I hit. But some 
one hit met, and here I am. Write Polly to 
^eome and see me.'' Polly did come, and I 
don't wonder he did not want Jim Greene 
to have her. I got ai furlough for him, and 
he went home with his Polly. 



Often I would hear the boys say that the}' 
had become acquainted with a nice girl 
down town last night, that when they Avent 
out the pass was all right, but they forgot 
to get back before the guard Avas changed, 
and a new pass wais on, but they made it all 
right, for they had the pass in their pockets 
by way of a bottle with something strong in 
it. See what liquor will dO' — cause a man to 
forget his loyalty. If I had had my way, I 
should have drummed those men out of 
camp to the tune of the Rogue's March. 
Philip Bohn, a green, young Irishman, said 
that if this happened in Ireland, they would 
have been run out by the point of the bayo- 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 45 

net if they were found ont, but he would 
like to take a good heavy shelalah to tliem. 
Philip enlisted with two young men of my 
neighborhood, saying he woaild go along to 
take care of the boys. They were assigned 
to the Third New Jersey CaA^alry known as 
" The Butterflies," He Avrote me that his 
light uniform and brass buttons caught him 
a girl Avhile he was in Trenton camp, and 
that he was going to send her his money to 
keep for him, then come back and marry 
her. And sure enough, he did. I haye never 
forgotten Philip. The day he left for the 
seat of war, I put his knapsack on his back 
and my last words to him were, " Don't fire 
in the air.'' He neA^er forgot those words. 
After many years I found out that he liA^d 
in Bridgeport, Conn. I went to see him, 
and found him married to the girl whcTliad 
saved his money for him. He was living in 
a very comfortable home, surrounded by a 
family of grown children. He, himself, was 
a fine looking man, but broken down in 
health. My visit to them was a surprise. It 
was happy, yet sorrowful, for when he 
learned who I was, he cried, and his wife 



46 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

and family ci4ed with liim. My name had 
been a household word with them, for he 
had not forgotten the girl who told him to 
be a good soldier and not to fire in the air. 
Those words had continually rung in his 
ears. He took me out and introduced me to 
his friends as the girl he had told them 
about. My brave Irish lad proved himself 
a good soldier. But taps have sounded 
'Lights out '' for poor Phil, as it has sound- 
ed for thousandsi before him. 



On a visit to Hartford, Conn., I was in- 
vited by a lady to go with her to a spiritual- 
ist meeting. I went and took my seat at 
the table with about ai dozen others. The 
harangue of the leader commenced. I did 
not know or understand one word she said, 
but was quickly told an unbeliever was 
present, and that flowers would fall in front 
(jf her. Toi my great surprise, the floA^^ers 
fell in front of mei, and she said, '' O my, 
the spirits are surrounding her. She must 
sing.'- I started to sing a hymn, when she 
squickly said, '' The spirits are soldiers, 
they don't want orthodox." I started and 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 47 

sang, '' Marcliiug Through Georgia." This 
pleased the spirits, and they sang it with 
a will. Then the spirit of a soldier sang the 
old song, " My Old Cahin Home." I recog- 
nized it at once as the song of a dead sol- 
dier I knew. I confess I was frightened and 
puzzled. I ne\^er was in such a place before 
and have never been in one since. I was a 
perfect stranger to all present at that meet- 
ing, and in fact in the city of Hartford, but 
I have often thought that when an oppor- 
tunity aff-orded, I would go again. 



COL. WHIXEKOOP IN COMMAXD, 
CAPT. HUMMEL'S BOYS. 



At Bath, in Maryland, quite a number of 
the boys of the Twentieth Pennsylyania Cav- 
alry were taken prisoners. One of the num- 
ber got away and hid in ambush. The poor 
fellow^ lay there all night, not daring to 
move, for eveir^^ little while he Avould hear 
a snort and a grunt. When daylight ap- 
peared, my brave lad found that his com- 
panion of the night was a big hog. He found 
his way clear and went into camp, and at 



48 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

roll call found out who weire missing*. He 
wrote to me, gave the names of the missing 
ones, and it fell to me to carry the sad news 
to their parents. It seems very strange, that 
all through my life I have had the burdens 
to bear of others, and am still bearing them, 
the cross has been mine. I hope to get the 
crown some day. 



ON THE FIELD AT ANTIETAM. 

On the afternoon of the 17th of Septem- 
ber, 18 — , at about 5 o'clock, the ambulance 
corps came tO' a good farmer^s house and 
was given something toi eat. With the 
women and girlsi, taking everything that 
could be of any use, we went out to do what 
we could to relieve the sufferings of the 
wounded and dying. We got very near the 
Dunkard or Menonite Church, but the 
shrieks and moans of the poor fellows who 
had been wounded were too much for us, so 
^■ei werei ordered to retreat. My compan- 
ions were made deathly sick by the scenes 
around them, so I was left alone, i braced 
myself for the task and at sunrise I was on 
the spot. As manv as could be put into the 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 49 

little church were carried there and attend- 
ed to at once. The church wa® not very 
large — in fact only a common school house. 
The majority had to lie on the field until 
cars arrived to carry them tO' my camp. Be- 
fore this the flag of truce — the white flag — 
had come, and immediately after this the 
wounded of both sides were carried off the 
fleld and the dead buried. 



A sight never tO' be forgotten is a rider- 
less horse standing beside his dying or 
wounded rider, neighing and licking his 
poor upturned face. These noble animals 
are well woirthy of heroic mention. Many 
of them were turned over to the farmers and 
w^ell taken care of and kindly treated by 
til em. 



The Dunkard or Menonite people ard 
quite numerous in that locality. They are 
very wealthy but plain people. Their only 
aim in life being to do good to otliers, and 
to live for Christ and His Kingdom. At 
harvest time they hold at the churcli and 
in the woods what they call ^' The Feast of 



50 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

the Laiiib/^ to which ervTirybody throughout 
the county is invited to come and have a 
feast. Lambs are killed, soup is made, and 
all who come are served Avith bowls of this 
delicious soup. I seem to taste it yet. TMien 
they meet ai brother of their flock, they kiss 
him. The sisters never greet each other 
with kisses, but by simply shaking hands. 
They (the women) do not believe in kissing, 
and I guess they are about right. The peo- 
ple all have the Dutch dialect. 



The last I saw of my old friend Gen. 
Geary, together with the following regi- 
ments, was in the wheat field at Gettysburg : 
The 7th Pennsylvania Reserves (Bucktals) ; 
22d Massiachusetts^ — the boys with the yel- 
low ribbon, the regiment I know now as the 
124th New York; 120th N. Y., Heavy Artil- 
ery. These commands all met with heavj? 
losses at Gettysburg. 



The day will long be remembered by the 
citizens of Harrisburg and by the countless 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 51 

throngs of people from the Cumberland Val- 
ley, who came to the city to welcome home 
the regiments of our gallant Penfisylvania 
Reserves on Capital Hill. A bountiful re- 
past was awaiting them, while cannons were 
booming, bells ringing and whistles blow- 
ing. How proud our Governor was of them. 
Those regiments were the special favorites 
of Andrew G. Curtin, War Governor. The 
boys looked tired and Avorn, many of thenj 
looking as though they had been sliding 
down nail studded cellar doors, and such 
proud boys as they once were. But noAv, 
what did they care if they did have their 
knees out. I knew one of the boys who at 
one time Avas very dudeish, and he looked 
indeed as if he had been playing tag down 
a cellar door with plenty of nails in it. 



During the war, after a victory gained 
by our troops, we would illuminate our 
houses, the lights used being candle dips or 
tallow candles which we made ourselves. 

I recall a lady who kept lights burning in 
her windows every night, from the first to 



52 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

the third story of her house. She \vas ex- 
pecting her twoi sons home from the war, 
and not knowing the exact time they would 
arriye, she kept the house lighted at night 
for them. This one particular night, her 
soldier brother was married, and just as 
congratulations were in order, a. tremen- 
dous jerk was given to the door bell. The 
colored girl answered the call, opened the 
door, then with a slam closed it, and ran 
screaming that there were two men at the 
door with guns who wanted to shoot her. 
These men were the lady's tAvo sons whom 
she w^as hourly expecting. You may believe 
that there was double rejoicing in this house 
that night. 

This colored girl was a Soiuthern slave 
refugee, and when her mistress sent her up 
to make the beds, poor Tilly would almost 
tumble down stairs, saying a^ man was un- 
der the bed. The fact is, the poor girl had 
been so frightened by the advancing troops 
before she left the Cumberland Valley, 
thinking they might take her' prisoner, that 
more than half the time she was no' good to 
herself and to no one else. 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 53 

SANITARY COMMISSION NURSES IN 
HOSPITAL TENTS. 



Alfred F. Morey, John B. Erving, Henry 
Mitchell, A. Stevens De Forrest. They 
were later removed to the Cotton Factory 
Hospital for winter quarters under Dr. 
Shultz. 

The names of two well knoAvn visiting la- 
dies on my list who were very kind to the 
sick soldiers in camj) and hospital are Mrs. 
William Verbeck and Mrs. Schoonmaker. 
They had the means to do with and they 
used it in the right place. Many a ray of 
sunshine they carried to the boys in the hos- 
pital. 



Report of public patriotic instruction of 
Public Schools of Newburgh, for S. W. Ful- 
lerton, W. R. C, 134. 

Visited Third Ward School on Lincoln's 
Birthday. Supe'rintendent Clark received 
me very cordially. He had just finished his 
address to the school on the lamented pres- 
ident, but he re-asseinbled the school, intro- 
duced me and told them of my object in 



54 KKMINllSCENCES OF AN AKMY NURSE. 

coming to the school that day. I found the 
work of patriotism up to the A-1 standard. 
The music and singing were exceedingly 
fine, being under the training of one of the 
teachers, Miss Totten, also a member of El- 
lis W. R. C. All the boys want to grow up 
and be soldiers. Some of the girls wanted 
to be nurses. With such training, and by 
such noble, patriotic Avomen, our flag will 
be well guarded and protected in the fu- 
ture, and for all time in our public schools. 
Our Children are rocked in the cradles of 
patriotism. 

Our fathers' God to tliee 

Author of Liberty, 
To thee we sing. 

Long may our land be briglit 

With freedom's holy light. 

Protect us by thy might. 
Great God our king. 



Notes of the Eighteenth Annual Conyen- 
tion of Sons of Yeterans, held in the City 
of Newburgh, N. Y., June 25, 26, 27 and 28, 
1901. 

Our visiting delegates, staff and officers, 
were announced from Washinaton's 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 55 

Headquarters by a Tollev of nineteen guns 
manned by Brother Hanford and a squad ol' 
Sons of General Custer's Camp. 

June 26th, business session. In the even- 
ing the Ladies Aid held a reception to wel- 
come our Sisters and Brothers, and a most 
enjoyable time was had. 

June 26th, open session. Mayor Wilson 
gave our friends a hearty welcome whicii 
made them feel at once at home. Governor 
Odell also gave them a warm Avelcome and 
made them feel that he had the welfare of 
the soldiers and city at heart. The meeting 
was called to order by Col. Moran. It was 
the eighteenth session of the Sons of Vet- 
erans. Capt. E. Foster introduced our 
speakers, and Col. Weygant spoke as only a 
soldier can speak. Eev. Dr. Igiehart was 
patriotic to the cause, likening the Sons as 
princes, sons of kings. Mrs. Julia Moni- 
han and Mrs. Llda Tomer* Miller, our na- 
tional officers, responded to the call to very 
great credit. We were highly favored by 
having wdth us Mrs. Ada Moore of KeA\' 
York, president of the Bed Cross Society. 
With her were ladies from the Eelief Corps. 

tofC. 



56 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

Mrs. Moore spoke feelingly of woman's 
work in hospital and on battlefield, which 
was very inspiring to omr speakers and 
guests. In behalf of the Ladies' Aid, No. 
39, thanks were returned by E. Foster, Pres- 
ident of the Aid. 

Adjourned to City Hall. The meeting 
opened in due form. Sister E. Monihan in 
the chair, Avhen reports of committees were 
heard from. The reports Avere very good. 
The visiting delegates of Post 39 called, 
were Past Presidents, Mrs. S. E. Oakley, 
Mrs. Saloma Puff, President Mrs. Martha 
Foster and Delegate Mrs. Gussie Van 
Buren. 

June 27, 7 :30 a. m. On the steamer Mary 
Powell, with our visitors, we went to West 
Point. Courtesy was shown us. Buildings 
of most interest were opened for our in- 
spection. At 2:30 we returned to New- 
burgh. The line of march Avas then formed 
for the parade Avhicli was quite an imposing 
affair. Although the weather was extreme- 
ly warm, our visiting Camps looked fine, 
and were a great credit to themselves in 
marching. My heart went out to the little^ 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 57 

boys' band of the Havetrstraw Camp. After 
the parade, the little fellows went to Glen- 
wood and had a good time on the merry-go- 
round. Everybody had a good time. The 
feature of the day was the Battalion that 
came from New York with the girls wear- 
ing the picture of that good-looking Brother 
saying, ^^ I am for Col. Libby." 

July 4th, at 3 :30 a. m., went to Washing- 
ton's Headquarters; at 4:30 Old Glory was 
hauled to the mast head by Comrade Tal- 
madge of Fullerton Post. He then fired 
forty-five guns. The rising sun on the ma- 
jestic Hudson seemed to think it Avas in the 
time when Washington stood to view the 
enemy, and a more beautiful and glorious 
sight I nervier saw. The water Avas lit up as 
if it were on fire. On the sky I imagined 1 
saw the outlines of an eagle. 

Aug. 22, 1901, went to Kingston Point 
with Fullerton Post and W. R. C. Had a 
very enjoyable time, and the unexpected 
pleasure of meeting and addressing the vet- 
erans of the 120th N. Y. This being the 
date they left Kingston for the seat of Avar 
in the 60s. Each vear thev come Avith their 



58 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 



families aiid hold a basket picnic, thus 
banding themselyes more closely together. 
Fiftj-six answered roll call. The speaker 
of the day was Mr. David Yeter of New 
Kinggold, Pennsylvania. They had plenty 
of good things to eat, and hearts full of love 
for their comrades. They rallied around 
their old standard, had their camp fire», and 
all separated until the next roll call, all 
pleased with the day's outing. 

August 30th the 
Ladies^ Auxiliary, No. 
7, Volunteers Army 
and Navy Union, TJ. S. 
A., attached to Gener- 
al Lawton Garrison 
was formally organiz- 
ed in Stewart's Hall 
on Broadway, where 
the newly installed 
body will make their headquarters. The 
hall was tastefully decorated with banners. 
There was a large attendance. After the 
dispensation from the National organiza- 
tion had been read, the meeting was formal- 




AUXILIARY BUTTON. 

ARMY AND NAVY 

UNION OF U. S. 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 59 

ly opened by Mrs, Annie P. Erving, Lady 
Conumander. 

The newly elected ofi&cers were installed 
by Past Adjutant Thorpe, assisted by the 
full staff of officers: James R. McCullough, 




ladies' aid s. of v. no. 39 badge, 
mrs. a. p. erving, chapi^ain. 

Charles K Van G-orden, J. D. Pennell, H. A. 
Davies and Mr. W. H. VanSciver. Grreetings 
were exchanged with flowers, Chaplain 



60 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 

Davies receiving the large»st bunch, he be- 
ing the oldest comrade — nearly 80 years 
old. He can talk and he can pray. 

Sept. 13th Auxiliary, No. 7, met for the 
first regular meeting. A call came from the 
chair of Lady Commander Erving that be- 
fore we opened under the head of business, 
we as loyal women should bow our heads 
in silent prayer for our stricken President 
and his wife, our dear Sister; that he might 
be spared to us as a Nation and to her whom 
he had cared for and loved so many years. 
(The whole Nation mourned Sept. 14th). 
The President is dead. The last bugle has 
sounded and he has gone to meet his dear 
little ones. 



CHAPLAIN'S ADDRESS TO THE SONS 
ON DECORATION DAY. 



Meeting called to order by Captain 
George H. Coe. 

" My Sons, we have come together to cel- 
ebrate the most hallowed of all days, to pay 
tribute to our beloved dead, the heroes of 
the Stars and Stripes that float so grandly 



REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 61 

over us to-daj , a flag that makes us feel that 
we are a free people. Our comrades of the 
G. A. 11., jour fathers, are growing old, 
their heads are white, their steps are grow- 
ing feeble and soon their inarching days 
will be over. Then, you, my sons, will be 
called to take up their line of march, fill 
the broken ranks and perpetuate their mem- 
ories. They will march witli sadder hearts 
this year, for Fullerton Post has its ranks 
broken by the death of Comrade Blanford 
and Comrade Hooley who were A^dth them 
last year on this day. They have passed 
away, and are among the good and true, 
and loving hands to-day wdll place flowers 
on their graves. The Relief Coi'ps missels 
and mourns the loss of their beloved chap- 
lain, Mrs. Emily Hamilton. ^Yell done, 
good and faithful servant. She has gone 
to her reward." 

Mrs. Annie P. Erving, Chaplain, 
Ladies' Aid, No. 39, to 
Gen. Custer Camp, No. lOG. 



SEP 28 1904 

62 REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY NURSE. 
THE BOYS IN BLUE ARE GROWING GRAY. 



The boys in blue, the brave and true. 

Who kept our natal day, 
These noble boys, are older now^ 

For they are growing gray. 

CHORUS. 

The boys in blue are growing gray^ 
Are growing gray, are growing gray, 
The boys in blue are growing gray, 
These noble boys in blue. 

Old Time, with silent solemn tread, 

Goes marching on his way, 
And he has marked, the boys in blue, 

For they are growing gray. 

Chorus— 

Farewell, my comrades, I must go, 

I cannot longer stay, 
My head is white as the driven snow, 

And I must haste away. 

Chorus— 

And when I am gone, remember all, 

The pledge we gave each other, 
That we would either stand or fall, 

The union now and forever. 

Chorus— 

Sung as a solo by P. C. W. Blanford, with Comrade? 
Hooley, King Stukey, Heckey, Barrett and Col. Leeper 
helping in diorus. 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



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